Improved evaporator for s acchar



T. w. McFARLAND.

Evaporating Pan.

No. 36,012. Patented July 29,1862.

[(9) I fi Wqltnesses: Inugntar:

N. PEYERS. Phow-Ulhogrupher. Washington. 0.0.

UNITED STATE PATENT Orrrcn.

r. w. MoFAItLAND, or OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED EVAPORATOR FOR'SACCHARINE JUICES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,012, dated July .29, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, T.NV. MOFARLAND, of Ottawa, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Saccharine Evaporators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, of which-- 1 Figure 1 represents a sectional view of my improvement as detached from a fire-pan. Fig. 2 represents a strainer, as is seen at c, Fig. 1, being detached from my evaporator. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal view of my improvement as attached to a rocking or oscillating fire-pan, showing the joint or movable or sliding connection with the fines and fire-pan. Fig. 4 represents a birdseye view of the same, showing the relative position of the fines with the pans more particularly.

by insuring great economy in fuel; secondly,

in the arrangement of a damper whereby at the proper moment the volume of heat can be cut oft from the flues and thrown more directly into the chimney.

This invention is more particularly adapted to the raising of the j uices to a boiling-point, after which, being thoroughly strained, they are introduced in a boiling condition into the firepan below, and thereby reduced to the proper consistency in a shorter space of time, the economy in time and fuel being the essence of this invention.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

In the sectional view, Fig. 1, will be seen a box, the sides of which are constructed of wood or iron, as the case may require. The bottom of this box is of iron, into which openings or holes are made for the tubes'or flues a a a, the relative position of which is more clearly shown in Fig. 4, which are inserted into and soldered or securely fastened to the bottom of this pan. These fines are elevated above the bottom of the pan, and pass through an opening made into the rear end of the pan, which is also of iron, and to which they are in like manner securely fastened. Below this pan, and designated by I, is an open flue, constructed, generally, of sheet-iron, and communicating directly with the chimney, as is shown at 2'. Below this flue, and communicating with it and the fines a a a, is a sliding tube or fiexible joint, as is shown at c h, Figs. 1 and 3. The stationary tube 0 is of an oblong shape laterally, and is firmly fastened to the bottom of the open flue I. Encompassingthis at its lower end is a sliding tube somewhat larger than the former, to admit of its being easily adjusted to the posit-ions which the oscillations of the pan on may require, and to which it is secured. This is clearly shown in Fig. 3, 'my object in. this case being to show its adaptation to an oscillating pan.

1), Fig. 1, represents a damper, which is fixed into the sides of the open flue I, and is intended to regulate the current or volume of heat as it passes from the fire-pan m, Fig. 3, by which it can be thrown directly into the flues (to a a, or cut off and thrown into the open flue I as the necessities of the case may require. This is clearly shown in Fig. 1, the arrows representing the respective courses of the volume of heat.

g, Figs. 1 and 2, represents the front of the pan, into which is fixed a strainer of medium fineness. Opposite to this strainer c, and fastened to the frame-work g, is a spout or conductor, (2, and to the end of which is fastened a bag-shaped strainer, f. This strainer is of a finer quality.

Z Z, Figs. 3 and 4., represent a circular pan,

(I, through the strainer f, into the firep'an be, low, the height of which will necessarily regu-,

late its elevation.

The operation of this evaporator is as follows: As the juice istaken from the mill, it is poured into the box or pan, Fig. 1, as also the circular pan Z, Fig. 3. After filling the box sufficiently to cover the, fines a a to the depth of a few inches, the damper is dropped perpendicularly, which causes the heat in its passage through the flexible or sliding tube 0 h from the fire-pan below to pass through the thin iron tubes or flues a a and into the chimney 6. Now, as the heating-surface is very great and the metal of these flues thin, the juice is soon raised to aboiling-point. It is then passed out through the strainer 0 into the conductor (1, and is thoroughly strained as it passes into and through the bag-shaped strainer f. From the latter it is delivered in'a boiling condition into the fire-pan below, where it is reduced to the proper consistency.

My principal object in the use of this improvcment is to employ the escaping or wasted heat from an ordinary fire-pan to advantage, and to economize in the time required in the reduction of juices ordinarily by introducing the juice into the fire-pan boiling hot instead of cold from the mill, asis the practice generally, thus requiring an increase of time to reduce, the economy in time and fuel by the .means employed being the essence of this invention.

Another object-of no less importance is the advantage gained by straining thoroughly the juices after the thick vegetable matter which has arisen to the surface, and which is arrested in its passage through the conductor 0? by the coarser strainer e, the thickest part of this scum having previously been removed by means of a skimmer. Now, in order to facilitate this operation and produce a better quality of sirup, it is very essential that the heat should be gradually applied in order to bring to the surface the scum or vegetable matter without great or violent agitation of the liquid by boiling, that it may be removed readily and not communicate to the residue or saccharine matter a rough vegetable taste peculiar to all sirups which are reduced from a cold state to a boiling condition rapidly and skimmed during the process of rapid reduction. Again, it is well known that all canes grown upon fine alluvial soils collect upon their outer surface a fine dust, which is washed from the canes during the crushing or grinding process, and is communicated to the sirup, which becomes thoroughly impregnated with it. Now, it is important in the production of good sirup or sugar that this should be re moved and at the proper moment, which practice has demonstrated to me to be at the boiling-point, for the penetration of the sirup at this stage admits of its being more thoroughly relieved of all sediment or foreign matter by a strainer of the proper texture. I use for this purpose a bag of fine woolen cloth or flannel of close texture.

I am aware that flues are used in the conveyance of heat, both fire and steam; but to these I lay no particular claim; also, that return-flues are in use for the purpose of evaporating sugar-juices, these being in every case attached to the fire-pan itself.

I am aware also that strainers are in common use, and to these I lay no claim, separately.

I am aware that vibrating or oscillating joints are well known and in common use in stoves and heaters where motion is imparted to one or both parts, and to this I attach no claim whatever, save where its employment is necessary in combination with a pan having an oscillating motion arranged and for the purposes as are herein set forth.

I disclaim the employment or use of what is termed a second pan 7 for evaporating sugarjuices, save where the arrangement is the same substantially as and for the purposes as are set forth.

What I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a fire-pan, the employment or use of a pan constructed substantially as is set forth, and for the purposes sub stantially as described.

2. In combination with an oscillating fire pan or a pan having an oscillating motion, a movable or sliding joint, as at c h, that the motion of the one may conform to the stationary position of the other, substantially as set forth, and for the purposes as described.

3. The arrangement of the strainers e f, in combination with the conductor d and the box or pan to which they are attached, substantially as set forth, and for the purposes as are described.

4:. The arrangement of the'damper b, in combination with the flexible tube 0 h, the fiues a a a, and the open flue I, substantially as set forth, and for the purposes herein expressed.

THUS. XV. MOFARLAND.

Witnesses:

S. W. RAYMOND, IV. S. EASTON. 

